Have you ever found yourself in the early stages of accomplishing something, then destroying it? This kind of self-sabotage is usually the result of mixed neuro-associations associating pain and pleasure to the same situation.
“We can do, have and be exactly what we wish.” — Tony Robbins
One example of mixed messages you may be able to relate to is money. In our culture, people have incredibly mixed associations to wealth. There’s no doubt that people want money. They think it would provide them with more freedom, more security, a chance to contribute, an opportunity to travel, etc. But simultaneously, most people never climb above an earnings plateau because, deep down, they associate having “excess” money to a lot of negatives, including greed, stress, immorality and judgment from their peers.
When you’re making a major decision, if your brain doesn’t have a clear signal of what equals pain and what equals pleasure for you, it goes into overload and becomes confused. As a result, you can lose both momentum and the power to take the decisive action that gets you what you want if you fall victim to listening to mixed signals.
In other words, when you give your brain mixed messages, you’re going to get mixed results. The next time you find yourself struggling to take action, grab a piece of paper and brainstorm all the associations you have to that particular issue, including both positive and negative ones.
You can keep this piece of paper just for yourself, but it will help you sort out what’s complicating your decision-making process. You may surprise yourself by brainstorming unconscious associations that you didn’t even know you had. You’ll also want to keep in mind that it’s not just the number of factors on each side that creates emotion, but the weight they individually carry. Do any of these items hold a special significance or pose a substantial risk to you?
